No, not really…..For best results you really need the seed right down on the soil surface or very, very close. Seeds have a little bit of stored energy in them and as long as they stay moist they’ll send out a little root searching for a place to take hold. You don’t want that little root to have to search very far. I broadcast clover and brassicas over the top of thatch because they're so small that the rain will work them down to the soil. Cereal grain though really need to be placed under the thatch somehow. It’s not hard to do though. Even if you already have thatch on the ground….a drag of some kind is enough to agitate seed down into it and get it covered over.

On a side note to this conversation……one of the benefits of not tilling is that you leave old root systems in place from the last crop that the new seedling roots can follow down into the ground. It’s easier for them and takes less energy to follow the old root channels than for them to forge new ones. These channels are also lined with decomposing OM and nutrients…….You don’t have to “break the soil up” when roots have already done it for you. One of the main foundation principles of soil health is keeping a living root growing. They serve a purpose sort of like the 2X4 studs in your walls…..They help maintain the structure of the soil and the “tilth”. Soil is not meant to be a tightly compacted together wad. It’s supposed to be porous….

I have sprayed fields 4 weeks ago and got a good kill, except blackberry briars are yellowed. If the seed doesn't make dirt contact, but lays on top of dead weeds, will they still germinate?

I'm new to the Throw n Mow and looking for a little hand holding. I have some food plots in LA close to the Florida line. They were planted last fall with the usual deer mix of wheat, oats, rye and crimson clover. They have not been touched all year. How do I get started. Seed and drag? Seed and mow? What should I plant? I was planning on bush hogging this weekend and spraying in a week or so but came across this. Give me some help please.

Thanks for the Help.

Ten more pages after Harold reads this post.

Spray your field wait till next week seed the plot then mow over it. With the temps you have down that far I would definitely want to spray.

CNC your plots looking great per the usual.

I sprayed two weeks ago. I didn't get a good as of a kill as I have the last couple years but still not bad. Spread seed on all my plots. Went back got tractor to mow and had a major hydraulic leak on both hitch cylinders. I made some calls and have someone coming next Saturday 9/30 to mow. Will the seed be okay or have I just wasted $400 of seed. Thank you all in advance

I do have lots of vegetation I almost all. We got some rain yesterday right after planting. Even if it sprouts some, would the mowing hurt it? It has to be mowed either way. I just hate the idea of it being a waste of a lot of money (to me anyways).

Thanks for the replies and advice. I'm going to spray the fields tomorrow. Do you put your fertilized out at the same time you throw the seed. Or do you wait until after you mow and then throw the fertilized.

Either way....doesn't really matter.

Thanks.

I've got 4 plots I'm going to do two 1/2 acre and two 1 acre. I sprayed the fields and my plan is to spread the seed and mow then come back with the fertilizer. What is a good go to mix for this first try?